Finding Hope
by ThatNerdGirl3232
Summary: One Shot. Beth Greene finds a familiar crossbow with two strangers the only question is where is the redneck it belongs to? Can Beth find Daryl?


**Bethyl**

 **One shot**

 **rated T**

 **Summary:**

 **Beth finds two strangers with a familiar crossbow. It's almost second nature to find the rightful owner in the forest of Virginia. Can she find Daryl?**

 **Finding Hope**

"Where did you find this?" Beth Greene demanded her eyes desperate as she aimed the crossbow at the two unarmed strangers.

"Please we didn't mean any harm!" the blonde man said his eyes wide his hands up. Edwards had a gun aimed to the brunette's head and Beth met the doctor's eyes.

"This doesn't belong to you," Beth hissed her hand involuntarily tightening around the worn strap that had become familiar once when she had been learning how to use it.

Beth had changed dramatically since she woke up. There were times when she could no longer see the hope in going on. She struggled with a constant survivor's guilt especially with the ever-present bullet wound that was almost scarred on her forehead.

The only thing that kept her going was the thought of her family. The thought of a certain crossbow wielding redneck, and here was the crossbow now where was the redneck.

"We got it off a dead one," the woman's voice broke through her thoughts and Beth frowned feeling the air leave her lungs.

A dead one... A dead one... No that couldn't be right, Daryl Dixon was going to be the last man standing. "You're lying," Beth snarled her attention never breaking from her target.

"Beth..." Edwards tried to get her attention and Beth shook her head.

"He isn't dead!" she said angrily blinking back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. That was another thing the bullet had seriously messed with her emotion wise. She was all over the place; her anger was quick to rise, her sadness and despair even quicker to make themselves known. She struggled to remember the person her Father raised her to be when it seemed so easy to give into that anger and kill anything in her way.

"We found it on a dead man in the woods, he was wondering around and we put him down, the crossbow was to sweet a steal to just leave it," the man's voice shook as he looked into Beth's cold eyes.

"Beth what if they're right what if everyone is dead... We came here for no reason," Edwards said his voice that constant voice of doubt in Beth's head.

"Shut up!" Beth snapped as she pulled the gun from her holster at her thigh aiming it between the man's eyes.

"Tell her Dwight!" the woman's voice broke through the red haze. "We owe him, he tried to save Tina maybe we can help."

"Tell me now," Beth's voice was like ice. All she wanted was her family. She didn't know if she'd be welcomed back in, she'd changed. It seemed her wish from so many nights ago had come true, and Beth found herself wishing it hadn't.

"We robbed him," Dwight finally said his eyes on the woman. "Sherry and I were trying to find Patty a fuel truck... we stumbled upon a man with a crossbow, didn't catch his name. Thought he was one of Negan's at first... We had to take him out, had to keep ourselves safe. Tina was with us then, she didn't like it, but she knew it was for the best..."

"I don't care, just tell me if he's alive or not. Tell me where he is," Beth interrupted.

"If we tell you he's dead you'll just kill us anyway," Sherry said her voice shaking as she looked at Edward's who was watching Beth in concern. Seeing an opportunity the woman made to grab the gun, and Beth's sharp eyes fixed her in place at the last minute.

"You're right, I won't hesitate when it means I can get back to Daryl," she said stepping behind Dwight the gun pressed against his temple. "You know I survived getting shot in the head, something tells me Dwight won't be so lucky."

"Alright, he's alive we left him in the woods, but I'm sure he made it back to town by now..." Sherry said her hands up in surrender. "He was a good man, he could've left us multiple times... My sister was diabetic he stole our supplies and brought the insulin back. He saved us from Negan's men; he helped me bury Tina... We wouldn't have killed him, but he had what we needed... We stole his bike, and the crossbow and left him."

Beth's eyes softened for a moment all she wanted to do was shoot both of them in the head, but she was shaking to fight it off. She didn't want to be a monster, but she couldn't help it. Daryl had been right when he said all the good ones died. Now it seemed like Daryl Dixon had realized he was a good man, and that meant Beth had to be there to protect him, to make sure he truly would survive. That meant eliminating the threat of people, and despite wanting to believe these people would never bother them she couldn't.

Closing her eyes she removed her gun from Dwight's temple. Allowing the two a moment to breathe she looked into Sherry's eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered taking aim and shooting once then twice. The two bodies fell bullet wounds going straight through their heads.

There was an explosion of brain matter and blood that leaked continuously from the wounds at their heads. Beth's hand started shaking after the deed and she looked at Edwards whose once clean lab coat was now stained red as well as brown.

"Beth..." Edwards gasped looking at the blonde. He knew she had changed. It wasn't exactly hard to figure that out especially back in the hospital. Beth had killed before, but before the wound she'd felt so guilty. Now looking into those icy blue eyes Edwards realized there was nothing this person wouldn't do to keep her family safe. She viewed the two as a threat, then the fact they'd attacked her, whatever the redneck was to her, well that sealed their fate.

For a moment the old Beth was shining through those blue eyes. For a moment her face was contorted in guilt and her eyes were shining with shame. That was before she grimaced and steeled herself again. Walking over to the bike Beth looked at Edwards. "Can you ride one?" she asked.

Edwards looked at the bike and frowned. "I've only done it once when I was young, but we can try," he breathed. Beth nodded as she got onto the bike behind the Doctor. Edwards took a deep breath as the bike roared to life underneath him. He looked back at the blonde with the dirty poncho she had taken off a dead body in Terminus. She never spoke about it, but she also never took the filthy thing off. Her face was covered in dirt and grime, but the bandage on her head was stark white.

She seemed so tough, so strong. She was a far cry from that girl who seemed so weak so fragile. Of course she'd always been strong, but now she'd lost the strength of holding on to hope. She was clinging to a much more tangible kind of strength, a strength that was seen in her eyes.

Edwards took a deep breath as he shot through the forest with the young blonde holding onto him. The woods were strangely easy to navigate; it was when they got into town that Beth seemed to focus more intently.

The town had obviously been shot up, but she couldn't see any hostiles. Looking around she spotted the door out of her peripheral. "Stop!" she said loudly and Edwards brought the bike to a jerking stop. Beth almost didn't wait for the bike to stop moving before she was off. 'Dixon' was all she could see scratched in big letters onto big metal door. Frowning Beth didn't stop to think about it as she walked into the building.

Edwards frowned but he knew Beth could take care of herself so he waited until she came back out. Her eyes seemed lighter. "People were definitely in there, I bet it was someone from my group," she breathed.

"So what?" Edwards asked "We don't know how to find them they didn't leave any way to track them..."

"We've got to move, we're going to keep on down the road until we find them," Beth said her eyes hard. Edwards nodded as she climbed back on behind him and he took off. Beth watched the blurring trees and felt the hot sting of tears. She had been so close, and yet at them same time she seemed so far away. Beth perked up as they started to pass through another town. This time the dull moan of Walkers was prominent even over the roar of the bike.

Beth watched the group of Walkers turn their attention to the bike as a large fuel truck rolled down the other side. "Shit," Beth muttered, as the truck seemed to amble towards them. Beth looked back and the walkers seemed torn between following them and going after the truck.

The truck in question was running over the walkers with ease and Beth felt an uncomfortable feeling. What if the people in that truck were bad? She was close to telling Edwards to speed off when she heard the yell.

"I already done told you, you're going ta be sorry," came the angered voice of a dark haired man that Beth would know anywhere. Beth turned around and her blue eyes met Daryl's as he had the truck parked and was looking out the window.

It seemed the Walkers that hadn't been killed by the truck were ambling towards the bike, and there was a relieved cry as someone got into the truck from the alley. Beth looked at Edwards and nodded. "Go forward we'll outrun the walkers and catch up with everyone on the road," she said.

Edwards did as he was told and Beth felt something akin to hope blooming in her chest. As the bike shot through the town Beth heard the rumble of the truck following them. She smirked slightly as they got about a mile or two from the town and they pulled off the truck copying them.

Daryl still seemed to think that they were the thieves that stole his stuff in the first place. Beth grinned as she swung off the bike and Daryl was grumbling as he pulled her knife from his belt stalking forward.

"Looks like you've lost something Mr. Dixon," she called and that caused him to stop his eyes wide as he met her eyes again.

"Beth," he whispered as it all clicked. Beth Greene was standing in front of him with a smile and a white bandage around her head. Glenn came to before he did, the Korean was covered in blood, and smelled like the dumpster he'd been hiding under when they all came to rescue him, but despite the trauma he just went through he was out of the truck and running to his sister-in-law at full speed.

Glenn picked Beth up hugging her tightly and Beth for her part had stiffened only slightly. She hated being touched now, but this was Glenn. She had hot tears once again falling down her cheeks and her throat felt closed off for a bit. The moment Glenn set her down Daryl was in her space and Beth met those blue eyes. Daryl realized immediately how much she'd changed.

Her eyes were cold, she seemed so distant, and yet she was there with him. He couldn't help it he pulled her into his arms. Beth stiffened and awkwardly put her hands on his arms like she couldn't register the touch. She met his eyes and looked away. It felt like the first time they'd hugged so long ago. Only this time their roles were reversed. This time Beth seemed to be the emotionally stunted one.

"You were right Greene," Daryl said softly and Beth's brow furrowed in confusion. "I missed you so damn bad while you were gone," he whispered.

Beth's eyes widened as she met his gaze. "Oh," she said in that same breathy way she had so long ago. There was one thing for sure Daryl had lost one of the most important things to him, but it wasn't the crossbow... Rationally he knew Beth was different.

Daryl gently took the crossbow, but he couldn't bring himself to care about it as much as he did that Beth Greene was staring at him. Daryl cleared his throat aware of the group that was staring at the two of them. Gently his rough hand took her own in his hand and squeezed reassuringly before he grabbed his bike. "Edwards you ride back with those three," he nodded towards Glenn, Sasha, and Abraham, "Beth you'll ride with me," he said and Beth nodded climbing on behind him.

Maggie had been overjoyed to see Glenn, but she broke down sobbing at the sight of Beth when they'd come home. Rick had nodded at Daryl and smiled at Beth while Judith reached out for the young blonde. Beth couldn't bring herself to hold the infant. She was too impure now, she didn't want to hurt the baby that'd been like her own child.

When they had gotten back to Alexandria Edwards had pulled him aside and told him Beth wasn't the same likely never would be again. "She shot the two that stole your bike at point blank, didn't even give them the chance," Edwards said angrily when Daryl didn't seem phased. He didn't need Edwards's whispered warning he could tell. Daryl could see it in her smile, her eyes, and the way she avoided touch even his. She was strong but broken, and he would help her come back. It was true everyone got a return, and while Beth Greene had come back to him, he would make sure she returned fully. He would help her find the good in people, and the strength in hope; just like she had done for him so long ago before Grady, and before he thought he'd lost her for good.


End file.
